Ratchet pipe wrench



May 21, A c

RATCHET PIPE} WRENCH Filed Sept. 14, 1954 R a I E VD m L L T R E B L A 5' BY W W 6 7 ATfOE/ZZ Unite States Patent RATCHET PIPE WRENCH Albert Lloyd Ice, Louisville, Ky.

Application September 14, 1954, Serial No. 455,973

Claims. (Cl. 81-91) This invention relates to a ratchet wrench for gripping or turning circular bodies, such as pipes, studs and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a wrench for gripping circular objects, which is self-adjusting, so that it automatically accommodates itself to objects of various diameters.

A further object is the provision of a wrench of the ratchet type for gripping circular objects, which is easy to use and which is reversible.

A further object is the provision of such a wrench which is of simple construction and is easy to make.

These and other objects of the invention will be ap parent upon consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of example, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention with part of the handle broken away;

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line d4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the dogs in contact with a workpiece; and

Figure 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, I provide a wrench handle 1 having an eye portion 2 at one end. A flange 3 on the interior of the eye has gear teeth 4a, 4b and 4c cut therein. A pair of end plates 5, 5' are positioned on the exterior faces of the eye, these plates being secured together by shouldered rivets 6 which provide a running clearance 7 between the plates 5, 5' and eye, and the edges of the plates may be knurled. This enables the plates to be turned manually as required. The flange 3 is cut away at 8 to accommodate the spacer rivets 6, the ends 8a, 8b of the cut away portion providing stops which limit the arcuate movement of the plate assembly. The plates provide central apertures 9 of any desired size to receive a pipe or stud to be turned or held.

Pivot pins 11a, 11b, and 110 are provided in the end plates, each pivot pin carrying a dog 12 which is rotatable thereon. I show three such pivot pins and dogs, but any desired number may be employed. The dog preferably is oval shaped and has gear teeth 13 along one edge which mesh with the gear teeth 4a, 4b or 4c, respectively, and near the opposite end the dog is serrated at 14, the serrated portions extending into the apertures 9. Leaf springs 15 are anchored at one end in slots 16 in the flange, and the other ends of the springs engage stop pins 17 riveted to the end plates. It will be seen that when the knurled end plates. are turned clockwise as seen in Figure 6, the dogs 12 are rotated counterclockwise by engagement between the gear teeth 4a, 4b and 4c, and 13 to cause the biting edge 14 to be retracted, and the stop ice pins 17 to deflect the leaf springs 15. When the end plate is released, the springs return stop pins 17 and thus rotate the end plates 5, 5 and dogs to engage the pipe in the aperture.

The operation of the invention as a pipe wrench now will be described with relation to Figure 6. The end plate 5 or 5 is grasped and turned clockwise against the action of springs 15 until the dogs 12 are sufficiently retracted from openings 9 to allow a pipe 18 to be inserted into the aperture 9. The plate then is released and the springs 15 extend the dogs into engagement with the pipe. Now, when the handle 1 is turned clockwise the gear teeth 4a, 4b and 4c cause the dogs 12 to turn clockwise and the serrated edges 14 grip the pipe so that the pipe can be held or turned, as desired.

In the position shown, if the handle is turned counterclockwise the dogs ratchet over the pipe, and grip the pipe automatically when the handle is turned clockwise. Because the wrench is open at both ends, the wrench may be used to grip clockwise or counterclockwise as desired, depending on which end plate confronts a pipe just before the wrench is slipped over an end of the pipe. The size of bore 9 and the radial spacing of the dogs determine the ranges of pipe sizes that can be handled by a given wrench size, and the wrench may be made in a variety of sizes to accommodate different size ranges.

i claim as my invention:

1. A ratchet wrench comprising: an eye portion; a pair of rotatable end plates enclosing the eye portion and having central aligned openings therethrough; at least one cam rotatably carried by said end plates within the eye portion and having a gripping portion adapted to extend into said openings; said eye portion having means on its interior surface cooperating with said cam to move said gripping portion into said opening upon rotation of said plates in one direction; said eye portion having an arcuate recess in said interior surface; and a pin carried by said end plates circumferentially movable with said plates in said recess, said recess and pin limiting angular rotation of said plates relative to said eye portion.

2. A ratchet wrench as specified in claim 1 and having spring means biasing said end plates in one rotary direction.

3. A ratchet wrench as specified in claim 1, wherein said cam has a gear-tooth portion; and said means comprises gear teeth adapted to mesh with the gear-tooth portion of said cam.

4. A ratchet wrench comprising: an eye portion; a pair of rotatable end plates enclosing the eye portion and having central aligned openings t-herethrough; at least one cam rotatably carried by said end plates within the eye portion and having a gripping portion adapted to extend into said openings; said eye portion having means on its interior surface cooperating with said cam to move said gripping portion into said opening upon rotation of said plates in one direction; a spring detent carried by said end plates; and a leaf spring anchored at one end in said eye portion with its free end engaging said detent.

5. A ratchet wrench as specified in claim 4, wherein said cam has a gear-tooth portion; and said means comprise gear teeth adapted to mesh with the gear-tooth portion of said cam.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 651,306 Gabriel June 5, 1900 1,140,567 Boring May 25, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS 779,368 France Ian. 14, 1935 

